.....~-:%& &%:-~.....
......~-:% %:-~......
.......~-: :-~.......
........~- -~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... #...--------...# ..........
.......... ####.-- FERMI'S PARADOX --.#### ..........
.......... #...--------...# ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ..........
.......... LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES ..........
.......... OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE ..........
.........~ ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE ~.........
........~- BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR -~........
.......~-: SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM :-~.......
......~-:% INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK %:-~......
.....~-:%& ANTENNA ARRAYS &%:-~.....
....~-:%&£ WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A £&%:-~....
...~-:%&£# DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. #£&%:-~...
..~-:%&£## ##£&%:-~..
.~-:%&£### WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE ###£&%:-~.
..~-:%&£## SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS ##£&%:-~..
...~-:%&£# PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR #£&%:-~...
....~-:%&£ GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, £&%:-~....
.....~-:%& AND -OUR- LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE &%:-~.....
......~-:% GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS %:-~......
.......~-: :-~.......
........~- AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT -~........
.........~ VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ~.........
.......... CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND ..........
.......... THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA ..........
.......... AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE ..........
.......... AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES ..........
.......... HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT ..........
.......... ..........
.......... AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR ..........
.........~ (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR ~.........
........~- RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE -~........
.......~-: AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR :-~.......
......~-:% MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), %:-~......
.....~-:%& DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE &%:-~.....
....~-:%&£ COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS £&%:-~....
...~-:%&£# FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS #£&%:-~...
..~-:%&£## BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY ##£&%:-~..
.~-:%&£### DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, ###£&%:-~.
..~-:%&£## ##£&%:-~..
...~-:%&£# NO . ONE . HAS . ANSWERED #£&%:-~...
....~-:%&£ £&%:-~....
.....~-:%& #...--------...# &%:-~.....
......~-:% ####.-- FERMI'S PARADOX --.#### %:-~......
.......~-: #...--------...# :-~.......
........~- -~........
.........~ SO WHY IS THAT? ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN ..........
.......... THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ..........
.......... A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE ..........
.......... PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO ..........
.......... DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE ..........
.......... HAS TO BE A PLANET!) ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~- BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE -~........
.......~-: DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? :-~.......
......~-:% %:-~......
.....~-:%& I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO &%:-~.....
....~-:%&£ IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY £&%:-~....
...~-:%&£# SHOWS) #£&%:-~...
..~-:%&£## ##£&%:-~..
.~-:%&£### #...--------...# ###£&%:-~.
..~-:%&£## ####.-- FERMI'S PARADOX --.#### ##£&%:-~..
...~-:%&£# #...--------...# #£&%:-~...
....~-:%&£ £&%:-~....
.....~-:%& I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE &%:-~.....
......~-:% THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS %:-~......
.......~-: FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING :-~.......
........~- -~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........